Coffin.



PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

J. DONAHUEL,

GOFFIN.

APIZLIOATION FILED JAN. 3, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JNVENTOR WITNESSES PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

J. DONAHUE.

GOFFIN.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.3, 1907.

2 SHBETS-SHBBT 2.,

INVENTOR V/[TNESSES THE NORRIS Psrsks cm, wasumarom n. c.

of sheet metal.

UNITED STATES JOHN DONAHUE, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

COFFIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed January 3,1907. Serial No. 350.606-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DONAHUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Collins, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates generally to portable receptacles and particularly to portable receptacles having approximatelyupright walls composed in part or entirely Burial caskets are among the receptacles to which the improvement is applicable.

The object of the invention is to so form the upright or approximately upright walls of such receptacles as to add stability to said walls and at the same time form handles for the carrying of said receptacles.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line, 1-1, of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a burial casket embodying my improvement; Fig. 3 is a perspective of a handle-plate; Fig. 4 is a section on the line, 4-4, of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an upright section through the handle rib; Figs. 6 and '7 are details of one form of handle structure; Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional plan of one end of what is termed an octagon burial casket; Fig. 9 is a similar view of a burial casket having a rounded end and embodying my improvement; Fig. 10 is a sectional plan of another form of burial casket embodying my improvement; Fig. 11 is a section on the line, 11-11, of Fig. 10; Figs. 12 and 13 are detail views of the handle structure.

For convenience in description, the approximately upright walls of the caskets illustrated by the drawings will be herein designated as walls, the cover and bottom walls being designated merely as cover and bottom.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5', and 6, the numerals, 1, 1, designate the side walls of a rectangular burial casket and 2, 2 designate the end walls of the same casket, and 3 designates the bottom of said casket. The lower edges of the side walls, 1, and the end walls, 2, are bent laterally to form flanges, 4, extending be neath and suitably secured to the lower face of the bottom, 3, which is in this case composed of wood. The upper edges of said side walls and end walls are bent horizontally outward to form flanges, 5, extending into saw-cuts, 6, in a wooden molding, '7, extending around the upper edge of the casket and forming a bearing for the cover or top of the casket (not shown). The construction thus far described has been heretofore used.

Between the top and bottom edges of said side and end walls, the sheet metal constituting said walls is bent outward to form a horizontal rib, 8, extending, preferably, entirely around the casket, said rib having an upper horizontal face, an outer upright face and a lower upward-curved face, and said rib extending outward from the adjacent wall far enough to adapt it to be engaged by the hand for the lifting and carrying ofthe casket. The lower face of said rib is upward-curved, as above stated, to facilitate engagement with the hand. To further facilitate engagement of said rib by the hand, limited portions of the upper and lower faces of the rib are cut out to make an opening, 9, through which the hand may extend and surround and grasp the outer portion of said rib. To strengthen the portion of the rib remaining in front of said opening, a reinforcing piece, 10, (Fig. 4) may be laid within the rib and against the outer upright wall of the rib and there secured. The edges left in forming the opening, 9, should be suitably rounded or thickened to avoid injury to the hands. Opposite each such hand opening, 9, a closingplate, 11, is placed over the inner face of the wall, 1 or 2, said closing-plate being longer in a horizontal direction than the opening, 9, and having at each end a tongue, 12, extending into the adjacent rib and transversely filling the latter. All the edges of said closing-plate, including the interior of the rib, are soldered to the adjacent wall. The portion of the rib opposite or in front of each opening, 9, constitutes a handle adapted to be surrounded and grasped by the hand; and such openings may be placed at as many points as may be desired. Figs. 1 and 2 show three such openings at each side and one at each end of the easket. As already stated, all portions of the rib between said openings are adapted to be engaged by the hand for the lifting of the casket, though, as is obvious, the hand cannot entirely surround and grasp such portions of the rib. While said rib meets all the requirements of handles, it at the same time adds strength to the walls. The outer faces of said walls, 1 and 2, may be painted or covered with cloth, in the usual manner, the cloth covering and conforming to said rib.

For the purpose of further reinforcing the ribs at the openings, 9, and for the purpose of indicating the locations of said openings, handle plates, 13 (Fig. 3) may be placed upon the rib opposite each opening, 9. Said plates are preferably made of sheet metal and shaped to conform to the exterior of the rib, cut away above and below the opening, 9, and having feet, 14, resting against and suitably secured to the adjacent wall, 1 or 2, as by means of small bolts, 14. When the wall of the casket is covered with cloth, said handle plate should be applied over the cloth and be of a color contrasting with the color of the cloth. Said plate may be of polished bronze or copper or may be nickelor silver-plated. Said plates, when thus applied, also aid in keeping the cloth secured to the rib.

The rib may be reinforced by fitting a bar of wood, 15, lengthwise therein, as shown in Fig. 5.

At the corners of the casket, the horizontal walls of the rib are mitered or made to overlap, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. In Figs. 9, 10, and 11, the rib, 8, is of cylindrical form, and openings, 16, are cut in the walls,

1 and 2, above and below said rib of suitable size and form to receive the hand and permit the latter to extend around and grasp said rib. A dish-form closingplate, 17, is placed over each of said openings upon the inner face of the walls and suitably secured to said walls, as by soldering. Said closing-plates not only serve to close said openings, but they also serve to reinforce the wall. A cylindrical reinforcing bar, 15, extends through each of these cylindrical ribs. Handleplates, 13, conforming to these cylindrical ribs may be placed thereon.

If so desired, the rib on each side wall may be extended endwise to form a projecting handle, 18, (Figs. 9 and 13). To accomplish this, the metal which is to constitute the side wall is cut with endwise extension as wide as the portion of the side which is to form the rib. Then, when the rib is formed, it projects end- Wise as far as said extension projected. The projecting handle'thus formed may be strengthened by extending the wooden bar, 15, into said extension of the rib. And to give finish and additional strength to the handle extension thus formed, a tubular cap-piece, 19, closed at its outer end, may be closely fitted around said extension.

It is to be noted that the side ribs may be thus extended endwise to form handles, whether the ribs are angular or cylindrical in cross-section.

It is also to be noted that the improvement is applicable to burial caskets and other receptacles having metal bottoms and covers and adapted to hermetical sealing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a structure of the nature described, sheet metal side walls having between their upper and lower edges :1

horizontal rib of suitable size to be engaged by the hand for lifting and carrying, said ribs extending beyond the ends of said side walls to constitute handles, substantially as described.

2. In a structure of the nature described, sheet metal walls channeled horizontally between their upper and lower edges to form a rib, and hand openings along said rib,-.substantially as described.

3. In a structure of the nature described, sheet, metal walls channeled horizontally between their upper and lower edges to form a rib, hand openings along said rib,

and closing-pieces extending over the channel on the face of the wall opposite the rib, substantially as described.

4. In a structure of the nature described, sheet metal walls channeled horizontally between their upper and lower edges to form a rib of suitable size to be engaged by the hand for lifting and carrying, and handle plates applied over said rib, substantially as described.

5. In a structure of the nature described, sheet metal walls channeled horizontally between their upper and lower edges to form a rib, hand openings at said ribs and 

